


To catch a cheater

by LittleLuna



Category: Bandom, Fall Out Boy, My Chemical Romance, Panic! at the Disco
Genre: Community: bandom au, Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff, Gen, Implied/Referenced Cheating, Light Angst, M/M, Multi, Mutual Pining, Mystery, Original Character(s), Private Investigators, Revenge Era
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-04
Updated: 2018-11-04
Packaged: 2019-08-17 15:30:39
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 11,071
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16519145
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleLuna/pseuds/LittleLuna
Summary: Who would've thought that a simple case of catching a potential cheater could be so difficult?Even worse, what happens when Gerard, a private investigator,  slowly falls in love with someone who he's supposed to catch in the act?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey there :)  
> I'm starting off this crazy new idea that popped up in my mind the other day and I need to write it before I get crazy  
> Hope you like it :)

After pacing impatiently through the small office, Gerard sits down in his chair with a sigh, staring at the small clock on the wall.

 _Just any minute_ , he thinks.

He sips his coffee, spinning in his office chair to look at the view of the dreary New Jersey.

Fighting crime, who would have guessed it? It was certainly not a job Gerard expected to do, but here he is. A private investigator. Some of the movies would lead you to believe that private investigators did crazy shit on their job like breaking into people's houses or hunting down murderers and hacking people's computers or wearing silly fedoras with a long peacoat in public while smoking a cigar. 

Truthfully, most of the time it was like any desk job. You sit down with a bunch of papers to sorteout, search for clues or try to investigate if the other person is a cheater. Ocasionally people would come with cases of people missing or with the intention of locating some family member. 

Gerard glanced at the clock again, getting almost completely lost in his thoughts again until his assistant Patrick came in. 

"Hey Gerard, Miss Burke is here."

Gerard faced his assistant by turning in his chair, taking another sip of his coffee and nodding.

"Let her in, Patrick.", Gerard said, smiling at Patrick who again, wore a fedora to work. 

Patrick nodded and behind him a small-framed woman entered the office, stepping in carefully. She was dressed quite nicely, her black skirt and a white blouse paired with kitten heels giving Gerard the impression that she works in an office.

"Uh, good evening."

Gerard greets his client with a patient smile, offering his hand to her to shake.

  
"Good evening, Miss Burke. Right on time I see. Please, make yourself comfortable."

  
Relucantly, the woman with a long black hair sits down, looking impatiently at the man sitting on the opposite side of the table. She nervously looked around, her expression telling him that she wanted to get this over with.

"So, let's discuss the case, miss Burke." Gerard says, watching the woman intently.

"Sure. So, uhh..I recently got engaged to my boyfriend. We've been together for 3 years by now and recently he started to act suspicious."

"You suspect he's cheating on you?", Gerard asked, observing her face that instantly got paler.

"Yes, ever since he got his new job he comes late and acts weird when I ask him anything related to work."

"Is him coming late related to his work hours?"

"I suspect so because on some days he's gone for the entire night and sometimes he comes home earlier."

"Is there any evidence or anyrhing else that gives you the impression of him being a cheater?"

"Well, kind of. There were a few times when I tried to follow him but he caught me and we fought."

"And did he ever abuse you?"

Miss. Burke widened her eyes at that, going paler and saying "no", as if the question offended her.

Gerard cleared his throat, flashing an apologetic smile to his client.

"Sorry if I offended you with that question. It's against company policy to work with abuse victims due to the risks of provoking the person being investigated and we don't want anything bad to happen.", Gerard explained himself, hoping that the brief explanation was sufficient.

Miss Burke nodded, confirming that she understood what he said.

"So, to cut this short, I need his personal details and at least one picture before we can get to discussing the payment and all other legal stuff."

She grabbed her purse that she put aside before sitting down and took out a photo album, giving it to Gerard who took it quickly and put onto the desk.


	2. Chapter 2

A week later......

 

 

The case was simple.

Follow her fiance Frank Iero to see if he's cheating. He's only supposed to catch him in the act, take pictures and give them to his fiance. It was practically a routine for him, given the fact of how many of those cases he solved in the past.

He got to the place where the client informed him he would be based on a text Frank sent to her.

He watched from the window of his car as the man who fit the description and matched the pictures appeared an hour later of waiting.

Gerard hid in his car, watching as the guy who looked suprisingly short enter a bar. He walked in alone.

 _Good_.

When he was reassured that no one saw him following Frank, he exited the car and entered, his stomach already feeling twisted by the smell of alchohol. Gerard's drinking days were over, and whenever his job required to be in a place like this, he made sure he didn't drink anything containing alcohol. It was tempting, but the sheer thought of the reason he was sober was enough to resist the urge to get wasted. Besides, he wouldn't drink during his work, even if he didn't have a past filled with wasting his days away getting so drunk he forgot his existence. 

He sat down somewhat close to Frank who looked like he waited impatiently for someone. It was a table not far from Frank, but enough to be within a hearing distance and not be too close at the same time. The only downside was that they were facing eachother, and Gerard knew that meant he had to do this quickly without getting caught staring at Frank.

Luckily, Frank kept looking at his phone and texting, looking almost nervous in the process but it also meant that Gerard could let his guard down a bit and observe. Being not so close to the man, he couldn't see who was he texting with.

From his left, a waitress approached him, clearing her throat to get Gerard's attention.

_Fuck. I should be more careful._

"Uhh what can I get you?"

"Anything that doesn't have alchohol in it.", he replied, the waitress looking confused but leaving anyway to get him something.

He noticed her squinting her eyes at him when he was caught staring at Frank again.

He tried to not stare at the guy facing him to not blow the cover, but it was becoming harder every minute to try not to.

Frank had an air of confidence around him, even when he looked like a giggling teenager texting his crush.

It was confusing to Gerard.

Frank kept texting and drinking his beer, looking at his surroundings every now and then. Gerard knew that it would be too risky to take any pictures in that moment because it would be too obvious, and Frank seemed like he would notice if some random guy started taking pictures.

The waitress from before came back silently with a bottle of Coke and Gerard thanked her, paying for it immidiately in case Frank leaves early and he has to follow suit.

He got his phone out and pretended to be really interested in something, but secretly he checked on Frank every now and then to see if anything changed.

Frank was still sitting and texting, supressing a giggle when his eyes darted over the screen.

Gerard found that adorable, in a way.

He quietly sipped on his Coke, glancing over to Frank every now and then. He definetly noticed that the guy had lots of tattoos and he could notice piercings because of the way they reflected on light. He took another sip of the fizzy drink, being at loss because he didn't have anything else to do besides watching over Frank.

Half an hour passed quickly and Frank, who looked impatient, still kept on doing the same thing.

Gerard sighed quietly.

If that guy wasn't as good looking as he is this would be a very boring thing to do.

But then again, he loved observing people.

The way the person acted could reveal so much about them. The way they sit, walk and talk. Their expressions. The way they handle talking to strangers or people they are close with.

Gerard knew that him being this reckless with Frank could end up badly. No matter what, private investigators shouldn't really look like creeps who stalk people, even if at the core, the job of watching over someone was basically that, but with different intentions.

He found himself looking at Frank too often for his good, but somehow he couldn't help it.

Frank definetly looked good.

As unprofessional as it was to even think of him like that, he did find himself immensly enjoying observing how Frank acted, despite the circumstances.

Frank put his phone in his pocket and Gerard ducked his head a bit to not seem suspicious or interested. The next few minutes of awkwardness Gerard could literally feel Frank watching him and he quickly occupied himself with his phone, cursing under his breath when he caught Frank staring back the moment he decided to look up.

_Fuck fuck fuck._

Gerard needed to do something fast.

Somehow he could sense that Frank knew that he was being watched by him, and he could potentially lose this case if he was discovered.

This isn't what is supposed to happen. Gerard looked around, relieved when a restroom sign caught his attention.

Frank looked almost ready to get near him to ask for an explanation for Gerard's behaviour and as soon as he saw that Frank was ready to get up and get to him, he stood up first, passing by the tables in the opposite direction from Frank who still seemed to look at Gerard's back when he got away from him.

He got into the restroom as fast as he could without being noticed and sighed when he saw that there was no one in here but him alone.

"Fuck. That was close."

Gerard walked over to the mirror, staring at his reflection. His black hair was messy, face flustered from the sheer embarrasment of being caught staring by Frank, who could potentionally follow Gerard in here and then he would be screwed.

He's definetly not getting paid enough for this shit.

Gerard tried to calm himself down by focusing on his breathing. He washed his face with cold water, trying to get a grip over himself because he knew this could go badly if he kept doing this like that.

A few minutes later, when his heart stopped racing and his breathing returned to normal, he stepped out of the restroom into the crowded bar.

He was about to get outside as quickly as possible before Frank catches up to him, but his jaw dropped when he saw a familiar face right there where Frank sat.

 

It was no one other than his brother Mikey.

 

_.... shit._


	3. Chapter 3

Instead of looking like a fish on dry land gasping for air, Gerard quickly started walking away, stealing a last glance at the table where his brother Mikey and Frank sat.

Mikey, who spoke quietly with Frank was sitting there with his back turned, and Gerard could recognize him by the way he was sitting down and his intentionally messy hair. He mentally confirmed it when he saw an outline of Mikey's glasses as he looked away from Frank when the waitress brought him a drink. 

Frank, who was definetly leaning close enough to make Gerard look uncomfortable, gestured to Mikey and looked to the side, staring at him again. Gerard was positive Frank noticed him again as he walked away.

It weirded him out that Frank, the short, sturdy looking man was able to notice him so effortlessly. No ordinary individual would be able to figure it out so quickly. This made Gerard's job way harder than it's supposed to be.

Gerard definetly knew he had to get out when Frank whispered something to Mikey, glancing at Gerard who was walking away.

Gerard turned his back on them on time as soon as he sensed that he was being stared at and got out.

Still confused from what he witnessed, but scared they'll see him if they get out, he ran towards his car and as quickly as he could, he drove away, checking the rearview mirror to see if he was getting followed.

His breathing was uneven, headache from this morning here once again as he manuvered his way to his apartment, which felt like the only safe place for now.

He felt at loss on what can he do with this mess.

His head was spinning. He couldn't even think properly.

After a few minutes of driving, he reached his apartment and parked his car, fumbling with the keys of his apartment. 

He needed a cigarette. And some coffee. And answers.

He got out, making sure to lock his car and climbing the stairs even though there was an elevator right beside him.

He needed to process the course of the events that happened not long before in that bar.

What the fuck happened there? Was the the clients fiance cheating on her with his brother, of all the people?

No, it can't be. It didn't seem logical. And if Gerard knew something about his brother very well, it was that he is not the type to chase after almost married men. He wasn't even the type to chase after one night stands. It didn't even seem like anything suspicious was happening right there. 

Except to him. Something was fishy about this case.

It definetly didn't seem that they're nothing more than friends. So what was the purpose of getting out there, seemingly stalking Frank who didn't appear he was engaged in anything intimate with Mikey.

Nothing that would be valid enough on court if she had anything in plan. Was the reason a simple confrontation, then? 

He needed more details. Context mattered, and right now Gerard knew he could approach to miss Burke and report that he didn't see anything more than two friends at the bar, talking to eachother. It would be unethical, considering that she may be onto something with Frank, but it would save his ass from her and the other two, if necessary.

As he was still climbing up to the stairs, Gerard tried to remember the way Frank talked to his brother, his posture and body language. It didn't seem like they were that close, but the way Frank leaned closer to Mikey seemed really personal.

And to even think how reckless he has been during the investigation. It could've been worse than that, he reminded himself.

_Fuck._

He wasn't supposed to be detected that quickly. If he heard just one sentence, he could easily determine what it was about. 

Maybe he should've stayed. But then again, there wouldn't be much point in staying if Frank payed more attention to him and with Mikey there...It would be impossible to stay anonymus.

Thank god Mikey didn't see him. He would have some serious explaining to do to him, his client and to Frank. Even if Mikey didn't somehow find out that he was investigating Frank, the thought of his little brother seeing him in a bar, of all the places was bad enough. That thought alone was enough to put Greard into a somber mood.

He reached the apartment, at a loss of breath from climbing way up to the 7th floor. He unlocked the door, sighing when he finally got in, locking them immidiately after.

Gerard needed some time alone. He needed a coffee. And a cigarette. He wanted to light it up at the bar but he forgot his pack at home.

The peaceful enviroment of his apartment was welcoming after the noisy bar, after what he's already been through with this.

Preparing his coffee, he started thinking about the case. Photos were enough to prove that it is him and the distinct features he had along with his bodily modifications like his tattoos and piercings made it even easier to indentify who was he after. He checked ms. Burke's history with him online, he checked her background...Everything seemed ordinary.

It was supposed to be a simple task of him in the right time and place, witness the conversation, maybe record it too and snap a few incriminating pictures of him being with a person he was supposedly cheating her with.

But to blow his cover and then have his brother catch him...It was a risk he didn't know he would be in in such an easy, everyday case.

When he finished making coffee, he grabbed a cigarette from his pack altogether with a lighter and walked to the smaller desk where he would occasionally work on cases at home.

He needed to dig deeper if he is supposed to find out more about this. Maybe digging into Frank's background would be beneficial, but he also knew that it's illegal without consent from Frank alone. It would violate Frank's privacy if he approched the case in that way.

Perhaps the way to go on about this is to directly talk to Frank, or get closer to him through Mikey. Fuck, it would be easier but he isn't supposed to do that, only observe and have some evidence that it happened.

Hours seemed to pass as Gerard got busy with a pile of papers of the current case along with many more of various other ones he didn't solve yet.

 

He was deep into his research by the time the sun rised up over the gloomy city. Gerard is a night owl and therefore he worked better during nighttime than he did by the day.

With a little effort he closed a few cases, but he concentrated hard on Burke's case.

Checking and then double checking all the info he had on Frank was fruitless. It was a dead end.  His hands are tied without getting consent to check on Frank's other private information. Sure, he could dig up his number or something, but that's a grey area.

It seemed like the way to go was to confront miss Burke and get more info. It wasn't the best idea, but it was a good and a relatively safe start. He just needs to persuade her to get the needed information and with that, he could get more context on what happened last night. And with that, he would need to either confirm or deny miss Burke's suspition.

He could ask his brother too, but it seemed that no matter how close he was to him, it would be too suspicious. It already seemed unethical and extremely unproffesional because of the fact that he is investigating someone who is supposedly in an affair with someone related to him.

Muttering another curse word under his breath, he decided to call miss Burke on the phone as soon as he gets some sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So uhh...Do you like it or nah?


	4. Chapter 4

Gerard dozed off quickly after he tried his best to solve the mysteryous case of Frank Iero. The thought of it drove him insane how something so seemingly easy can be tough to figure out. He forgot to take his clothing off from the last night, falling flat on the soft matress, draping his Star Wars blanket sloppily over his body as the tiredness kicked in fully. Finally closing his eyes he fell asleep with the last thought being about how working so hard at least makes him fall asleep easier. 

 

Hours later, being stuck in the dreamland but hearing some kind of ringing noise made Gerard realize that his peaceful sleep was interrupted. He opened his eyes, rubbing the remains of his sleep from them as he grumbled at the annoying ringtone.

Somehow he managed to find it in the darkness of his room, on the floor next to his bed. Not prepared for the brightness coming from his screen, he squinted his eyes, reading the name Mikey on the screen.

He picked it up, sleepily answering it.

"G' mornin' Mikeyway", Gerard said, unaware of what time it was really.

"It's 6PM, Gee. Got your beauty sleep?"

He could only respond to that with a groan.

"Awwh, come on, you know I love teasing you. You complain like an angsty teen on her period.", Mikey stated, giggling.

Gerard snorted, his inner drama queen showing with the next sentence.

"Ok, it's official, Mikes.", Gerard paused, his brother silent on the other end.

"I'm disowning you."

"Oh, really. And here I thought that you meant to announce you are officially getting out of closet.", Mikey fired back and Gerard knew his brother said that with a goofy smile.

"You'll sass me to death if you keep saying stuff like that.", Gerard mocked hurt.

"Are you just gonna keep bitching at me or let me ask you something?", Mikey said, snorting.

"Okay, I'm listening, Mikes."

"Wanna hang out on Saturday? And no, you can't make some work related bullshit excuse, everyone is already coming. Even Patrick."

"Ughhh Mikey but I have to-"

"Work on your cases? Oh Gee, as much as I admire what you do, I feel like you are really pushing yourself too much. And before you say you have to, I feel like we rarely spend time anymore, and that's saying something since I'm a lawyer and I find more time for my friends than you do."

"Ughh Fine, Mikey. I can't really say no to that. So, uhh, how's work?"

"Tough as always. The last trial left me pissed and I need to blow off some steam. It's depressing how many divorce cases there are. And my friend asked me for an advice the other day and his situation sucks, so there's that too to worry about. And how's it going on your end?"

"Frustrating. There's this guy I'm supposed to stalk around but the guy saw me so I bailed. And I'm so close to solving it, but I got no info so I'm so annoyed. You are a savior for calling me to get out from home."

"See? This is why I called you. Psychic powers, I tell you."

"Yeah, keep telling yourself that. Anyways, I have to call someone, so, uh, see you on Saturday, I guess."

"Sure, bro. You better show up or I'll drag you from that cave you call your home."

"You can certainly try, toothpick."

"See you then, fatass." Gerard snorted at the insult, the line going silent as his brother hung up.

It was good to hear his brother. It's been a while since they hung around and Saturday sounded perfect.

Gerard thought about his social life for a moment, then work again. What Mikey said is true, he didn't get out as much as he used to. Trying to balance his work and social life was hard, so he stopped trying after a while.

But hanging out on Saturday with his brother seemed like a perfect idea.

With that thought, he got up, instantly going to get more coffee before he calls miss Burke, also deciding to shower too because the feeling of falling asleep in his clothing felt icky. 

The thought of facing Mikey after last night gave him anxiety, but he felt relief after confirming that Mike hadn't seen him last night.

Life felt a bit better with that, and Gerard couldn't help but smile.


	5. Chapter 5

Gerard tried his best to manage to not get late the next morning. After countless times of trying to be on time for once, he knew it was inevitable when his morning was unexpectedly ruined upon waking up later than he usually does, but eager to feed his coffee addiction he made some and sitting down he started sketching in his sketchbook, only to spill his coffee all over his drawings and his pants.

"Fuck.", he groaned, now feeling even more crankier than he was after getting up because the Sun decided to wake him up by blinding him as soon as it had risen. He tried to dry the sketchbook and the table quickly to avoid damaging the sketches and to not leave mess behind. He put the mug in the sink, grumbling in frustration because his phone rang.

He ran to grab the phone and answer the call but it stopped ringing so he checked who was it.

Patrick.

Probably checking if he's even awake. Sometimes he pondered how could Patrick stand him coming so late, even though he knew that he gets most of the cases done at home and that Patrick approved of him being productive, but hated that it also meant being late or tired from overworking so much.

Now with ruined pants and lack of his favorite hot beverage he rushed to find other pants. The search went on and on as he tried to manage to find a pair of clean ones but it was already inevitable that he's late. With last curse word muttered this morning, he found his black jeans. Curse them, if you ask Gerard. They always get lost in a sea of black clothes, with a few of them actually being colorful. As he undressed and jumped into his not-really-work-appropriate black skinny jeans, he realized that he's more thatn a half hour late.

__________

"Good morning sleeping beauty!", Patrick chirped, which would annoy Gerard in the mornings, no matter how he slept, but this was Patrick and somehow he couldn't help but smile at his adorableness and the fact  that he looked like he had a good morning.

"Yeah, I'm late I know.", Gerard said, sighing. Even with being a private investigator, he had the feeling that his life was still more messy than it should be, but he tried to sort it anyway. _Baby steps_ , he reminded himself.

"Aw, it's not that bad this morning. Last week you were an hour and a half late. Good to see you're in a good mood because I got you some papers you might wanna look at."

"Oh really? What case?"

"Burke." Gerard's eyes widened at the mention, feeling a slight rush from anticipation and a tinge of embarrasment because, honestly, he couldn't help but to think that he's a bit incompentent when it comes to this case. In his head, he had a mini panic attack because it could possibly mean that Patrick didn't really use the appropriate, legal method of retrieving them, but the feeling of satisfaction from finding more clues about this peculiar man overpowered the anxiety.

"Uhh, does that imply what I think it does?", he said, displaying his fear of illegal stuff being in something that should be clear of it. He still has laws to abide by, but this urge to sate his curiosity, whatever the means, was there.

"Cheer up, Gee! There is this guy, Brendon. He's my boyfriend's friend and he told me some stuff about Burke."

"Shit, you scared me a bit there. I thought you did something worse."

"Yeah, your pale expression didn't obviously tell me that already. But I do have to say, I did hack to get some of the info to confirm what's it about. You should check it out."

"WHAT."

"I'm your assistant, you ass. I'm not really that helpless. Plus, Brendon and Pete might've helped too."

"How serious is this, Pat? Helped with what? And who the fuck are all of these people? Oh god, if I lose my license for this-"

"Come on, chill. I just made a profile to ask around. The illegal part about hacking was only to confirm what I've heard from others. And I promise it won't actually affect the case so much, but it will make you question some stuff. Supposedly your buddy Ray from your old workplace knows some stuff too. You should take that lead too. Might give some clues on where will you catch Frank or other stuff.", Patrick said, a small smile from feeling proud taking form. 

"God, this is just confusing on so many levels. And bad.  Oh well, haven't seen Ray in a long time. Maybe I should visit him."

"Then off you go, Gee. I'm gonna make coffee, you go check that out."

"Oh god please do. I'd do anything to get that coffee."

"Be careful what you say. Especially since I know Mikey will drag you into that party on Saturday."

"Don't even remind me, ughh. I miss Mikes but a party? Not my cup of tea, at least not anymore."

"I know I know, but it'll be fine I promise. I'm sure Mikey won't let you near alcohol."

"Yeah, I know. I'm gonna go now.", he said, nervousness in his voice showing from hearing about all of this, which really was getting to him. With a last look at Patrick who was now walking away, Gerard walked over to his office, hoping to resolve the case faster and get over this.

He saw a few papers laying there on his desk and while it didn't seem as much stuff to get through, he felt his stomach drop at the thought of what made Patrick so eager to check this out if it wouldn't make such a difference in this case, except maybe making it easier or harder to check if Frank did have an affair, on work. It really depends.

He sat down after hanging his jacket on the hanger, starting to work his way through all this information.

He immiduately noticed that these documents were the illegal part. Gerard already assumed that Patrick will tell the rest, the 'Pete and Brendon helped me' part. Who even were all these people anyway?

After a while, Patrick came in, two coffees in hand, grinning when he saw Gerard going pale as he read more and more.

"Told you it's some interesting stuff here.", he said, grinning. Gerard shuffled through the papers, grabbing his cup of hot coffee and burning the roof of his mouth from the hotness. It tasted good, but he cringed at the burn.

Patrick watched Gerard's reaction as he read through the pages. He looked blown away. He put the papers down, running his fingers through his hair and sighing, looking helpless as ever, completely stunned.

"What the fuck did I get myself into, Pat?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you may be so kind, please leave feedback and tell me your thoughts, it really helps :)


	6. Chapter 6

Never in a million years Gerard thought that a little stupid mistake like this could be so bad. 

  
Now that he thought of it, why didn't he do a simple background check on her? It was even required to do so to not facilliate a stalker or promote agression.He had a few friends at the local police station and they could've told him if he asked about her criminal record.

All of this could be avoided and he also would have the courage to look his brother in the eye once again without lying, assuming that Frank knows Mikey well and Mikey is friends with him, as he had witnessed a few days ago.

Putting that aside, while the information didn't even affect the case he was tasked for, well at least the part of catching Frank in the act, and everything was still mostly legal, but his guilty conscience screamed at him for taking this one and possibly helping a criminal to do...something.

If it was true it meant she had no compunction about deceiving him. If any of it was true, and she wasn't as innocent as the court believed, of course. As someone who lived for cases like this she certainly didn't strike him as someone simply concerned for cheating, not after reading through this.

He hoped he was wrong. Nonetheless, there is something Gerard was missing in here. He couldn't put his finger to it, but maybe his intuition could lead him somewhere.

Gerard couldn't even believe in what he read, because it worried him to no end. His mind conjured all these scenarios that hypothetically could happen and none seemed benign fo him and his wellbeing. It didn't made sense in his head at all, from the possible motive to give her a reason for this to as to why accusing him of simple cheating.

Or maybe he was just paranoid.

What if it wasn't true? What then? Is he really in a position to judge her?

Honesty was the best policy here, and with his realization that in this case that might not be exactly true, it made him feel bad for that Frank guy.

Does he even know? Would it be too bold to just warn him?

He took a deep breath and looked over to Patrick.

  
"So, what now, Gee?"

  
"I don't know. It's bad. This Frank case could get us in some serious trouble."

  
"I understand but, we have a lead.", Patrick said, smirking and by seeing his eyes light up in hope, Gerard tried to find a good reason not to dig in more secrets about Burke, just to see if it's true.

He cleared his throat and spoke up. "It's not supposed to be any of our business, Patrick." , Gerard said, then stopping his sentence to think. Patrick's face looked like a dejected puppy again and he mustered himself not to say something he will regret, "but if this can put that Frank guy into danger somehow, solving this case is...not for the good cause. But what is really bothering me is why this? Why cheating? Does he cheat or was this just façade to find out where is he going when she's not around? Is this some form of checking?"

  
"We have to help that guy somehow then..!", Patrick immediately interjected, making Gerard jump a bit at the louder tone of his voice and almost spilling coffee a second time today.

"Like, if this is anything to go by and even if only a small portion of this is true, it will lead to some serious trouble for him, and god knows how many more people."

  
"Yeah, everyone. Come to think of it, maybe even my brother. I didn't tell you yet, but...Remember that night when I was following Frank after Burke told me where he went?"

  
"Yeah, what about it? You've never told me what happened."

  
"Everything was okay until I followed him inside. The waitress acted weird, Frank noticed me even though I was discreet, when I went to the restroom and got back Mikey was talking with him about something and I knew I had to go. And he saw me looking, so, yeah, it might be bad. Maybe even Mikey is involved in something with Frank considering that he is a lawyer, after all, but I doubt it."

  
Gerard glanced over to the papers again and summarized the content of the written words in his head.

  
Laurene Burke.  
Accused of involvement in insurance fraud and accounting fraud four years ago. The person who accused her was perceived as nothing more than a conspiracy theorist due to the lack of evidence, and finally, they were stripped from their license as a private investigator.

A few days later found dead in his apartment. Reports said that it was suicide since he hanged himself. No other evidence that suggests otherwise.

  
But where would that leave Frank?

  
Insurance fraud. It was a common theme in this field of work, there were dozens of those cases. If the scale of all of it was bigger, then it could be really really bad.  
And to find the person accusing you dead a few days later?  
This was extremely fishy. Something is wrong with Burke and something in him knew trouble was brewing.

  
He had so many unanswered questions.  
But then again it wasn't his place to get involved in this.

He's supposed to catch a cheater, not get into this whole new mess. No matter how much he wanted to, he couldn't break the rules.

  
With most of the stuff now uncovered, he wondered how much of the 'cheating' part was true. If by any means she wanted to prevent something or frame him for anything that could look wrong on court. The only thing that was missing is the motive.

Did Frank find out something that he wasn't suppossed to know?

  
If that was correct, then this whole ordeal was a sick, twisted game on her behalf.  
But then again, something told him that no matter what, this will get worse no matter what he decides.

  
"As much as I think we should help somehow and maybe try to solve this mystery, I can't do it. It's too risky."  
Patrick got up immediately and spoke up.  
"What?! You're simply gonna leave it on "I can't it's too risky? And what if it's true? What if your brother is involved and gets hurt? Who will be held responsible?"

  
Right on cue, Gerard got up and slammed his hand on the table.

  
"Take that back! We don't even know that!! No one does..Fuck! Sorry, I sholdn't get my emotions into this."  
Patrick was taken aback at how desparate Gerard sounded, even though he was sure nothing had happened and it was all just panic. He noticed those little things Gerard did to calm his anxiety, but he never admitted that to Gee.

  
Gerard took a deep breath and sighed. "Maybe..Maybe you're right. But it's not like I can do much since she's my client. It would be suspicious to start asking questions out of the blue..."  
"I wanna do it. Others can help too. They've helped to dig this information and I'm sure they can help more. Just let me do it please.."  
"Fine, Patrick. You go after her, I'll go after Frank. We'll drag this for as long as we can and find out if he's in any danger. This is my fuckup after all. I just hope we know what we're doing."

Patrick nodded, turned away from Gerard and walked over to the door, stopping for a second before speaking up:  
"Sounds like a plan then."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a quick question: does anyone want this story to go foward?  
> I need some reassurance since I'm feeling like this isn't going as I expected it to be...  
> Please comment down below, I won't post the next chapter until at least one of you comments if they wanna see this story going foward or not.  
> Also, feel free to critisize me as much as you want, I'm not from the US so I am not the most knowledgeable when it comes to certain things, but I'm trying my best to be as accurate as I can :)


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there, person who's reading this story. Thanks for checking it out. Also thank you, person who left the feedback when I doubted myself. If it weren't for you, I probably wouldn't continue this.  
> Also sorry for the long wait, I was busy during the holidays and I wanted to make this chapter a bit longer.  
> Thanks for reading :)

Right after the conversation, Gerard started sorting out all the scattered documents in his office. He briefly got through some of them, thinking about all the cases he has had over the course of a couple of years. Crazy stalkers, insurance frauds, missing people, cheating spouses and so on. Life seemed a bit better with this job, even though it consumed a lot of time and left only a small timeframe for doing other things. After sorting through another small pile he remembered his old job and even though he missed being a regular detective, he reminded himself of all the stress that came with it. Brushing that thought off, he put more documents in its place and stopped for a moment, admiring his only half done work and enjoying the quiet of his office.

That is, until a phone ringing broke the quiet solace.  
He answered it after he put away an enormus pile of papers on the shelf near him.  
"Hello?"  
"Hello, Mr. Way. It's me, Burke.", Gerard tensed up at that and took a deep breath before continuing.

_Quick, what should I say? Act composed. Be normal._

"Yes, Ms. Burke. I know you! The Iero case? Is there something you need?", Gerard was so tense that he pretended that he wasn't at all thinking about what he read. That didn't came out of his mouth the way it should have.  
"Yeah, I called you on your phone half an hour ago but you didn't pick up. So, basically, Frank and I got into a fight and I suspect he's going to meet up with his lover. He packed his stuff after, said that he'll sleep at his workplace but he drove somewhere in the opposite direction."  
"Well, do you have any clues on where he might be?"  
"I found a business card of a hotel nearby on the floor beside the nightstand. There is a note on the back that says "check in if you need me" and I'm really worried.."  
"Okay, just read me the adress and I'll go now."

 

He grabbed the keys of his rented car, gave Patrick instructions on where to wait for him and got underway after grabbing a camera to take pictures with and drove in direction of the hotel Burke mentioned.  
Not long after, he found himself at the doors of a big hotel with a sign that said "Bella Muerte".  
He just shrugged at the name, parked his car slightly away from the mentioned hotel and walked in, only to see a magnificent painted high ceilling and a big reception, screaming luxury at him.  
_How does Frank (or his lover) have money to afford this?_

He immediately reminded himself that if Burke is really into the whole mess with frauds, it's definetly possible.

  
He saw Patrick talking to a receptionist and he got closer to him.  
"Oh! There he is! My boyfriend, Gerard. You're late honey." , Patrick chirped, huugging his arm and smiling.  
Gerard tensed up, forcing himself not to let his jaw drop onto the floor by biting his tongue enough hard to bleed. _This wasn't the plan, Patrick!_ , he thought to himself but Patrick just smiled wide and continued.

"So we were wondering is there any way we can rent a room for two for this night and.."  
Gerard stopped paying attention at what was Patrick saying and concentrated on what he saw.  
It was Frank, walking into the restaurant that was a part of the hotel. With a woman. He knew it was Frank because he noticed the neck tattoo and the ones on his hands. Also the hair and the height, which was obvious.

  
"THE RESTAURANT!" ,Gerard said, raising his voice a bit more than he should. The receptionist looked at him pale as the wall behind her and then looked to the side, her face reddening as she tried to do her job. She cleared her throat and Gerard tried to cover his mistake. "Uhh, I mean, the restaurant. I'm hungry. Can we..?"  
"Yes, sir. You can go to our restaurant, but you have to sign on the guest list."  
"Is there any tables available?"  
"I will have to check that with the staff. Please excuse me for a minute, gentlemen.", she said,  fake smile plastered on her face.  
The receptionist got up and walked away from them. For a moment, he thought she will come back with a security guard.

  
"What did you say, Patrick? Couple!? That wasn't our plan!"  
"Well neither was your shouting, you psycho. You're gonna get us in trouble. Besides, it's hard to get a reservation here so play along."  
"Yeah, sorry about freaking out, Frank got in with some chick and we need to hurry."

  
"Good news, Mr. Stump and Mr. Way. One of our clients canceled their reservation and we have a table available. Though, let's finish filling in all the forms."  
"That's great!", Patrick said with a smile and they proceeded to get it done as fast as they could, at least Gerard thought so.

 

After the hassle with papers, they sat down and ordered their food when the waiter came to their table, and all Gerard could do is try to scan the big restaurant to see where Frank was.  
Patrick stepped onto Gerard's fingers when the food was ready and the waiter asked if they wanted a glass of wine.  
"Oh! No, I don't drink. Just a glass of water, please."  
Patrick, who didn't order wine either, out of sympathy for Greard, spoke up.  
"Did you find Frank in here yet?"  
"No. I'm looking, but there is a lot of people out here."  
"Try the table to your left, near the windows."  
Gerard furrowed his brows but complied. He saw Frank talking with a familliar-looking woman and he tried to remember where did he see her before but nothing came up. The placement of their table didn't make it easy on them to watch them intently and he also realized that it made looking at their table impossible without other people staring at them. He had to lean to the right to even take a good look at them, which, in turn, made him look like an idiot without any context of the situation.Getting some footage is probably impossible.  
"I saw her before, but I don't know where."  
"Well, this is proving to be quite interesting. How are you gonna take those pictures though?"  
"Oh shit, yeah, good question. I dunno, we'll try to do that when they get out of here."  
"When is that gonna be?"  
"I don't know, Patrick. Could be anytime."  
They carried on with the conversation and Gerard managed to get a better look at the two when a table that partially blocked his view cleared up. Their ordered food was ready and the waiter came up to their table and served them the first course. Gerard forced himself to stop intensely staring at the duo and thanked the waiter who looked a bit confused. _This is gonna be a long watch._

 

_Nothing. Nothing nothing nothing!_

Gerard, obviously frustrated, stared at the ceilling in their rented hotel room, laying down on the bed and thought about what happened at the restaurant. 

He showed no results in solving the case, and this worried him to no end. Stupid pretty looking Frank Iero. He cursed at himself for thinking that way again during the watch. The way the two interacted and the way this played out seemed like they were more than friends and he couldn't force himself but to think about this situation in any other way but a cheating better half with what seemed like his lover. He wondered about their conversation, the way Frank smiled while she said something and the way his face changed expression while talking to her. There was also a lot of physical contact between the two. In some moments, when he stole another glance at Frank, his face looked unreadable but somehow, in his mind, he associated it with sadness and guilt. Especially when seeing the shift in his body language, the way he seemed more closed up and less over the place with gestures.

Frank somehow left such a big impact on him when he saw Gerard again, only this time it was at the exit of a hotel and Gerard held a camera ready to take pictures. Luckily, he thought quickly at that moment and he found himself grabbing Patrick by the collar and planting a kiss near his lips. Patrick, astounded, didn't respond and Gerard could feel the awkward tension seeping in when he released Patrick from his grip after he caught Frank looking at the scene. Frank widened his eyes at the sight but after the woman who accompanied him nudged him to go with him, he forcibly teared his gaze fromfrom Gerard.

_This was a second time he fucked up. How? Why?_

This slowly started to drive him insane.

He would try to check with the hotel staff about Frank's whereabouts or their room number but this wasn't possible because no one looked keen on giving any information, probably not even if he broke the façade Patrick made them believe and straght up told them they were private investigators.

Anyhow, what unraveled in here couldn't help but to make him think that what he was dealing with now was a concrete indication that Frank might cheat and this was the opportunity to catch him and be done with this.

Suddenly the door opened and Patrick stepped into the view, smiling. "Ready for round two? I saw Frank and the girl a moment ago. They are on the parking lot right now. I told the luggage guy named Ryan or something to watch when are they leaving. Should be anytime soon so we should hurry."

Gerard didn't even stop to answer back, instead he quickly got up on his feet, grabbing everything he needed and they stepped out, ready to finally get something done. _This is going to be a long day_ , Gerard thought.

 

 

 


	8. Chapter 8

After the first attempt of today, Gerard tried to focus on succeding in the second one given to him by Patrick and a random hotel staff guy named Ryan. As quickly as they could, they snuck to their car, Gerard feeling relief that he parked it enough far away from the crime scene.

Without hesitation this time, he took out his camera and zoomed in on the almost perfect incriminating view of the two, Frank helping her getting into the car, holding his hand on the small of the woman's back while leading her to the passenger seat. It seemed that both of them haven't noticed them getting in or taking photos. Frank's hand moved away as he courtesly opened the door, making her giggle.

He snapped another one and sighed in relief, this case was giving him a headache, and now it seemed like God himself gave him a helping hand in solving this.

Frank closed the door and got in the car, moving away from them. As if on cue, another car passed by and gave them a perfect opportunity to follow them while keeping distance. "Let's go, Patrick.", Gerard said, smiling like it was a blessing to get this started. Though deep down inside, Gerard felt guilty about the case going foward, mainly because of the fear of what is gonna become of this, in the end.

With a glint in his eye, Patrick nodded, slowly moving the veichle in the direction of the target. "Do you believe in luck, Gerard?"

Gerard turned his confused look at Patrick while working his way around his seatbelt, raising an eyebrow at him, confused even more when the man smiled widely.

"What? That's an odd one to ask. What do you mean by that?"

"Well, I was skeptic until a moment ago, frustrated even when this started. The way this case went nowhere from the moment you picked it up, it was a wreck. Now...Now I feel things are moving in the right direction, don't you think?" Gerard opened his mouth to answer, but pausing when he deeply thought of it. He scratched his chin, before bluntly answering with a simple "No."

Patrick gave him a glance when they stopped at the red light, a bit relieved that Frank hasn't managed to pass further without them behind. "Well, I mean, no. But..."

"But..?" "But I can believe that some godly force intervened. Like, it seemed impossible, but now...It's rather easy."

Patrick laughed wholeheartedly, Gerard puzzled at his behaviour. He seemed more relaxed. Gerard thought of it as a good thing, maybe it was because relief finally dominated through the tense atmosphere of the recent events.

"Yeah, you may be right. It's like God wrote this in in the script to aid us, somehow. Maybe we're lucky that it did when we were getting a bit desparate."

"Huh. Never thought of it that way. But still, I know I insisted on not getting involved in the whole Burke mess, but I kinda feel like, bad for getting shit done for her. If our suspicions are true, anyway..."

"I understand, Gee. No one would feel good in your place with that on their mind. It's a burden for me too. It just...It seems too real to be false, if..If we're in the right in this. But we gotta continue, and I haven't noticed that until you said that we had to. But, I guess fate will continue its work where we stop. We can hope so, as well as hope that we're truly just lucky bastards in this one."

"More like, two lucky dummies.", Gerard said, letting out a quiet chuckle at his own words.

"Well, let's test our lucky selves some more, shall we?", Patrick said with a smirk, and Gerard nodded in response as Patrick started moving the car again, driving slowly behind them. Sometime after, it seemed like the duo reached the destination of Frank and the woman, them parking quite a distance away to avoid being seen. They both stepped out of the car, this time without Frank opening the door for her, but instead walking away while talking. 

_So, they were going at the cinema together. Hmm._

Patrick and Gerard stepped out of the car too,  a cold breeze dancing around their hair. Following them quietly behind and keeping their distance, they stepped into the building where Gerard saw them already buying tickets.

"Let's stick to the crowd when we get closer.", Gerard said, all of his senses on high alert due to the sheer anxiety from the possibillity of getting caught the third time. It would be bad, and if Frank wasn't suspicious enough from the last two encounters, now he surely will be.

"Let's find out what movie are they gonna watch first.", Patrick said, looking at their whereabouts when they walked away as Gerard walked closer, stopping him by putting a firm grip on their shoulder. 

"Well, how are we gonna do that?" , Gerard said, getting a bit frustrated and Patrick pointed to the schedule. The only screening that was scheduled for right now was "Frankenstein" and some kids movie.

"Shit. We can't just guess what are they gonna watch."

"No, but we can split." Gerard thought about the idea, and then beamed at Patrick.

"Why are you a better investigator than me?"

"Must be my fedora.", Patrick chuckled, tipping his hat. Gerard rolled his eyes at the quirky remark, realizing that he only saw the fedora thing acceptable on Patrick, because it fit him more than he dared to vovcalize.

Finally getting into the line, they bought two tickets for both movies and after getting popcorn and drinks, because why not, they are gonna watch a movie anyway, or pretend to, anyway.

The two split up, saying their goodbyes for now and Gerard felt a bit more confident in the way this was going. If, by any chance, he can end this case for good, then he will do it, dammnit.

As he remembered to put away his wallet, he realized that it might be a bad idea to have a camera hanging around his neck. With an inaudible curse muttered under his breath, he zipped up his jacket, hoping to hide it away from sight. As he entered the already darkened room, he proceeded to find a seat that would be close enough to them, but enough distant to remain unseen. He struggled to find a seat or Frank and he thought that they might be watching another movie, "Frankenstein".

But, as he lost his hopes, he heard a giggle in an otherwise quiet atmosphere. Turning his head to the left, towards the source of the sound, he saw the girl.

But, shit.

The only available seats were right behind them.

Should he risk it?

Damning his luck, he figured it would be better than just awkwardly standing there, and the fact that there were some parents with their kids staring at him, he slowly walked in the direction of the seats.

Sitting down, he quietly watched the two, and though it was nothing of importance, he considered it was lucky that he heard them talking about the characterson the big screen. Everything seemed to be in order. He felt a presence of another person sitting down on the seat near him and he turned his gaze at the small boy sitting down with a woman, presumably his mother.

Frank and that woman had their attention on the kids movie for like, half an hour from then. The occasional whispers could be heard from them and Gerard could still hear them, that's how close they were.

"Mommy, who is that boy? I wanna meet him!", the boy exclaimed loudly, and Gerard completely froze.

What now!??

He could feel the stares of other people in the direction of the boy and a few chuckles.

Shit, Frank is turning around. Abort abort ABORT. 

It might've been his instincts, or the fact that he feltregret that a small boy blew his cover, but he facepalmed, hiding his face from him.

He dared to move his finger a bit to see if Frank payed any attention to him, and there was a sigh of relief as he didn't look over to see him because the whole cinema erupted in laughter and the woman beside him grabbed his hand, and he turned his attention on the screen as the boy in the movie said something really funny.

His anxiety was at his peak, but he removed the hand from his face anyway, and the woman beside him looked nervous, for some reason, still holding his hand. Slowly, but surely, Frank removed his hand and removed his hand from hers, looking down.

He noticed the strange hesitation in between them, and his female companion cleared her throat and, spoke softly, "I'm sorry...I know you can't...I should've known better..."

Frank looked at her, and Gerard could feel the awkwardness around him. As a third party, he was confused. It was obvious that the woman had some way of affection towards Frank, but it didn't add up.

What was she to him?

This underlying awkwardness stretched into eternity as it seemed, or, frankly speaking, to the end of the movie. The credits rolled in and Gerard knew he had to get there before the lights turn on. Standing up, he felt someone grabbing him by his sleeve.

"Mommy says everyone should stay for the credits, mister. You should respect the people who made this!", the kid beside him said, and he felt anxious again, but knowing he shouldn't draw the attention on himself, he nodded, flustered as he took a seat, hoping that will suffice. Almost everyone except Frank, the girl beside him and the little boy with his mother already exited. Shit.

Kid, I couldn't agree more, but the timing on this is awful. , Gerard thought.

"Mommy, this guy is so pretty. See mommy?", the kid said again, pointing at Gerard. Gerard would find it cute at any given time that the kid tried to compliment him and draw the attention of his mother to someone, but now it was a bad time.

He tried to play it cool and laughed it off, blushing a bit.

"Jonathan, you can't go around and say that to strangers. That's not polite."

"Uhh, thanks, kid, but excuse me. I have to go. Bye!",Gerard said as the credits were over and the lights started to turn on.

There were more people who stayed for the credits than he thought, and he took that as an opportunity to walk away as quickly as he could and blend into the crowd.

In the corner of his eye, he noticed that Frank, luckily, didn't even pay attention to Gerard or that awkward encounter with the kid. Instead, he had his head down and hands nestled in his pockets, seemingly in deep thought, as he talked to her. They were walking enough far from him to hopefully not notice him.

He managed to stay put until they left first, and though the crowd was pretty big, he recognized that familliar fedora from afar.

"Took you long enough. Were they with you?", Gerard nodded and they walked away from the cinema and just as they stopped at the corner, Gerard dug his hand at Patrick's shoulder, alerting him at what was happening right now.

They were close to Frank and that woman, and Gerard quickly but stealthily unzipped his jacket, taking the camera in his hands, pressing it to his face. Through the lenses, he could see Frank stood there quietly as that girl laced their fingers together again, like she did while they watched the movie, but somehow more confident this time. Frank, who looked embarrased, didn't even move an inch as her face got closer to him and tension from Patrick and Gerard's end rose up, Gerard's hand trembling as he prepared for the collision of the two to take a picture and although everything seemed so slow in this moment, when she finally closed the gap completely, the moment he started to move made Gerard's eyes go wide as the kiss seemed so passionate and fast paced, her hands trembling as she pressed her hands onto his chest and Frank, in turn, agressively grabbing her jaw, breaking the kiss forcefully, a string of saliva breaking off as he moved far enough.

 _So, it's true_. Gerard's thoughts about..Them being more than friends... _was true._

And now, he had it all forever etched into the memory of a camera, that held all the proof that... _They were more than friends._


	9. Chapter 9

_What now? Where do we go from here?_

  
He was back at his office, smoking a cigarette and holdingv pictures from the day before in his hand.

This case could be over with in a matter of an hour from now, yet now that there was an end right before him, he hesitated to leap. 

All he could do right now was to stare at the picture two of them kissing that was on the top.

_This..This is enough evidence for miss Burke that supported the whole idea of Frank being a cheater. But..._

This wasn't fair, it wasn't the act of bringing a cheater to justice.

It's confirmed now. There was no evidence to suggest that Frank Iero had an affair with that woman that met him in that hotel. When it came to feelings, it was blatantly obvious that she felt some kind of affection, more than a friendly one at that, but what happened that day on the parking lot was more than enough to make him realize what was happening in between them. He started to think about yesterday's events that took place.

A day before when they were close to Frank and that woman, when Gerard quickly but stealthily unzipped his jacket, taking the camera in his hands, pressing it to his face.

Through the lenses, he could see Frank who stood there, quiet as that girl laced their fingers together again, like she did while they watched the movie, but somehow more confident this time.

Frank, who looked embarrased, didn't even move an inch as her face got closer to him and tension from Patrick and Gerard's end rose up, Gerard's hand trembling as he prepared for the collision of the two to take a picture and although everything seemed so slow in this moment, when she finally closed the gap completely, the moment he started to move made Gerard's eyes go wide as the kiss seemed so passionate and fast paced, her hands trembling as she pressed her hands onto his chest and Frank, in turn, agressively grabbing her jaw, breaking the kiss forcefully, a string of saliva breaking off as he moved far enough from her face.

  
_So, it's true. Gerard's thoughts about..Them being more than friends...was true._

At that time he couldn't help but to think otherwise. Anxiety and thrill were a part of his job, and nothing was more satisfying than the truth unraveling right in front of his watchful eye. 

  
"Stop! I already told you I can't...No, even if I could I don't want...That...Not with you."

  
She looked directly into his eyes, her hands slightly trembling as she hugged her chest.  
"I-I'm sorry...I thought if I-"

  
"Delilah, you thought wrong. I don't consider you as anything more than a friend. I'm sorry if I made you think of me as anything else.", Frank said, his words perhaps coming off a bit harsh, judging by her stare. At first, she was in denial, even crying a bit. It was obvious she was distressed, anyone would be if they heard those words coming from someone they were in love with, but this was getting too personal.

It felt dirty to spy on them, to hear and see all of that, to watch as he gave her a hug and trying to calm her down by shushing her and- Patrick tapped Gerard's shoulder lightly and signaled him that they should go somewhere else, now that they had everything they needed. Gerard couldn't agree more.

It was unbelievable that they were lucky enough to collect the evidence they needed from the start and managed to do it completely unnoticed by the two.

  
Frank Iero wasn't what he expected him to be. He had doubts, sure, ever since they booked a room in the hotel he was sure that there was something in between them.

He even had physical evidence right now, in his hand.

Gerard thought of how it felt so strange to be in a situation where he got the evidence that he needed, but instead of that evidence showcasing something true, it was an evidence of something that never happened.

An evidence of them being in an affair.

  
Gerard knew that he could just give it to Burke, say that what she beileved as a fact was true and that he indeed cheated on her behind her back, or he could keep his promise to Patrick and postpone this, dragging the case as long as they could, getting involved in something big, and very very illegal, considering it was none of his business.

Gerard threw the pictures onto the table, getting up from his chair and stared through his window. He gazed upon the city he lived in, thinking of that day when he met Burke, or more precisely, that moment when he did the same thing as he was doing now.

That day he wasn't feeling this conflicted about helping her. He saw her as an innocent individual who knocked on his door because she felt helpless. And now when he knows more of her, even if it isn't true, his eagerness to help her simply wasn't there. 

New Jersey was always full of dangers and mysteries, so much of it was hidden to a regular person, so much things went unnoticed, so much was happening behind the scenes. And yet not even Gerard himself knew if he should uncover one of its mysteries, namely miss Burke.

A long time ago, he would probably risk his own life to pursue every hardened criminal hiding in there, out in the open, but now...      It was hard to imagine that.

He wasn't as naïve as he was back then and a bit less eager to risk his life. And that only left one option in front of him. 

He should confront Frank Iero as soon as he can.

 


End file.
